The
Canadian Pacific Railway legacy epitomizes the golden era of travel. It conjures
up a time of romance and refinement, fine silverware, damask linens and
luxurious surroundings. More than that, it symbolizes a pinnacle of
Canadian achievement that began as a railway that crossed a continent then
broadened into a travel system that spanned the world. It was the closest
thing our country has ever had to an empire, an intermodal king of
transportation and accommodation.

This site will one day be the ultimate tribute to the history of Canadian
Pacific's passenger travel divisions. Extensive illustrations and comprehensive
descriptions will provide a portal to the 1930s for visitors to take a virtual
journey from Southampton to Shanghai on the CP system.

Readers will be able to peruse their
options for transatlantic crossing in a period timetable, take a virtual walk
through the decks of their glorious Empress-class ocean liner and browse daily menus
and lists of onboard activities. Once they arrive in Montreal they will board a luxurious
transcontinental passenger train at historic Windsor station and visit the
various dining, sleeping and observation cars while taking in the
spectacular views as they cross the country. Stopovers will be provided at grand
CP hotels and
side trips will be offered to bungalow camps in Ontario, tea houses in the
Rockies. Once they arrive in Victoria travelers will have the option of
sailing up the British Columbia coast in a CPR Princess ship before heading to
the Orient in a Pacific Empress. Of course, every modern convenience will
be offered along the way including CP telegrams and travellers' cheques.

No doubt after having completed their virtual journey
readers will be eager to see what they can of the real thing so the site will
provide up-to-date links to the historic hotels, train stations and even trains
that remain in existence today.

However, it will take time to create such an all-inclusive
experience. Lot's of time. After a few years of research I
realized that this was a project of such massive scope that it would need to
wait until I had retired (2030 unless I run into a generous sponsor prior!).
So for now the site will serve only as a repository for my growing collection of
CP ephemera which I like to call Canadian Pacificana. In particular
I am proud to share my collection of over 200 magazine ads that often equal the
beauty of the famous Canadian Pacific posters but until now have never been
assembled anywhere outside of the CPR official archives. (For a taste of
what's to come, check out my original splash page.)

So please enjoy your visit and if you have any questions
about the material seen here feel free to contact me at peter @
marshalltaylor.ca.

Peter
Marshall
Toronto, Canada
April 2010

P.S.
If this kind of Old World elegance is right up your alley, be sure to check
out my other site BlackTieGuide.com,
the Web's most authoritative resource for tuxedo tradition and etiquette.